


Mistaken Gift Swap

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, F/M, Mild Adult Situations, Mild Language, Naugthy!Katniss, Nudity, Tumblr Prompt, Tumblr:Winterinpanem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 15:06:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5502212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peeta Mellark takes pride in being a thoughtful 'gifter', when it comes to his holiday presents. This year however, hasn’t gone as planned... Based on the <b>Winter in Panem</b> Prompt: <i>“I accidentally gave you (my roommate) the box containing lingerie I got for my girlfriend, but you still surprised me wearing it for Christmas.”</i> Everlark pairing, modern setting AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mistaken Gift Swap

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction, I do not own the Characters of the Hunger Games
> 
> Beta-read by FanficAllergy, who truly has taught me a lot about writing! You rock!
> 
> Thank you Chele20035 for hosting this event! You also rock!

Normally I enjoy the holidays. Growing up the son of a baker, made me appreciate the beauty of the season.

  
The energy it brings. The way everyone is busy. The sound of carols drifting through the air. Then there are the other things I love about this time of year, like: wearing extra layers of clothing, baking cookies, and my absolute favorite, shopping for loved ones!

  
I’m the kind of person who puts a lot of thought into the gifts I give. I chase the perfect present for each and every person on my list. There’s nothing better than seeing the reaction on the receiver’s face when they unwrap their present. The surprise. The smiles. The exclamations of _‘this is perfect_!’ I live for those moments. Witnessing my loved ones happiness and appreciation, makes everything worth it. I love the notion that my effort brought a smile to someone’s face.

  
This year however, hasn’t gone exactly how I planned.

  
I wish I could blame it on my friend, Finnick, but it’s only partially his fault. I shouldn’t have listened to him in the first place, but it wasn't like he forced my hand, to buy the blasted thing either.

 

Second, I should have color coded my gifts, but that’s something my mother used to do, ’ _one designated wrapping paper print per son._ ’ Now I see the benefit, still, I can’t bring myself to admit there was logic to her madness. After all, I go out of my way to be as different from the woman as I can… for example, I, Peeta Mellark, am the only Methodist in an all Catholic family, if that gives you any insight.

  
But then what?

  
I can’t just assign a particular gift wrap to every person I know. I’ll go nuts, and then I’ll go broke. Still, I should have done something. Anything, to keep better track of my presents. If I had, I wouldn’t be in the predicament I’m in right now.

 

“Damn you Finnick Odair!” I huff shakily, one hand on the steering wheel as I speed along the cheerfully decorated streets of town. My other hand rakes through my hair, a nervous habit I’ve never been able to shake.

 

I’m less than five minutes away from home now, but, Katniss, my roomie, usually leaves work around this time. I need to get to the apartment before she does! It’s a battle against time.

  
And every single damned traffic light is out to get me!

  
As soon as I hit the parking lot, I don’t even bother to find our designated parking spots. I park on the visitors section instead up front. I rush to my apartment, to try and intercept my roommate before she gets to the seemingly innocent present I left in her bedroom.

  
I’m hyperventilating in utter terror. I can’t bring myself to imagine her reaction. If she finds out, the beautifully wrapped box, contains racy Santa Claus lingerie, instead of my usual, platonic fare of gifts, I’m doomed!

  
“ _Damn it_ , Finnick!” I repeat more forcefully this time. “I’m never listening to you again!”

  
I skip the elevator, taking the stairs. Two and even three at the time. All I can think about is how terrified I am. I’ll probably lose Katniss’ friendship over this.

  
The thought terrifies me.

  
I’ve harbored a crush on her since preschool, but I only had the guts to finally talk to her during our freshman year of college. To my surprise, she was receptive, starting an unexpectedly close friendship. After that, we became roommates. We stayed that way even after graduation.

  
Sadly, our timing, when it comes to romance has always been ill fated.

 

We’ve never made it past the platonic stage. One of us is always on some kind of relationship when the other is free. It’s useless. It’s like the fates are against us.

 

She just got out of this very lengthy relationship with the guy that almost proposed to her, and I’ve been dating this girl, Glimmer.

  
Glimmer’s ridiculous name fits her quite suitably. She was all shine and sparkles when we first met, but, then I started to see the real Glimmer behind the mask. I’ve known for a while, I needed to get out of that bullshit relationship ASAP, and tonight, was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

 

When she unwrapped her gift, the one that was supposed to house her lingerie, and instead pulled out Katniss’ present, she flipped.

 

She raged. She called me a cheap bastard, so I simply tore the box from her hands and took off, throwing a definite, “Good bye, Glimmer,” over my shoulder.

  
The gift was NOT cheap and intended for a very specific person. _Katniss_.

  
As I rushed out of Glimmer’s house she yelled after me, “Dammit Peeta! You’d better be going to get me a real present. Like a fucking diamond, or I’ll never talk to you again!”.

  
All I could think was, ‘ _Good riddance!’_

  
I was more preoccupied with other, far more terrifying, implications. If Katniss’ gift was here in my hand, that could only mean one thing: the gift I’d selfishly bought for Glimmer, for my own enjoyment, was sitting on Katniss’ bed back in our place.

  
Thus precipitating my frantic drive across town.

 

I’m about to curse my luck and damned Finnick again, when I push open the door to my house and feel like all the oxygen in the world has been sucked up into some portal, and out of existence.

  
Katniss _is_ home.

  
She’s _found_ the gift.

  
And that’s when another important fact slams into my befuddled brain.

  
She’s _wearing_ the gift!

  
I stare at her in shock.

  
“Hi Peeta,” Katniss greets me, with a devious smile, “I take it, you like how my outfit looks on me?” She says, pirouetting to show it off.

  
My jaw drops.

 

I’ve never seen this particular smile before, all sexy and confident… is she trying to seduce me? Because all she’s ever need to do to turn me into putty in her hands is just to acknowledge me.

  
“I… uh… yeah. The _outfit_ … you-you’re _wearing_ it,” I sound like an idiot even to myself.

  
She laughs at my obvious lack of intelligent speech.

  
“Well, of course I’m wearing it,” she says in a teasing tone of voice. “You left a note on top of the box telling me to try it on. That you’d like to see it on me before our trip back home tomorrow.” She flashes me that same devious smile again.

  
My dazed and blood-starved brain manages to recall the note she’s talking about.

  
I did ask her to show me how the garment in the box looked on her, but I was referring at the _$90 scarf_ I’m clutching for dear life in my fist, not the outfit she’s wearing.

  
She had loved the scarf as soon as she saw it. It’s deep green, her favorite color, and made out of organic fibers. She’d balked at the price tag. Ninety dollars is a lot of money for a scarf, and she couldn’t justify spending that much on herself. So, naturally, I needed to get it for her.

  
My head is swimming but, I can see the hilarity in the situation. Katniss is wearing the twenty five dollar gift I bought Glimmer, while Glimmer called the pashmina I got for Katniss cheap!

  
The irony is killer!

  
Since all I’ve managed to do since walking through the door is stare at Katniss in awe and disbelief, she takes the lead. Smirking at me, she says, “Now, I would love for you to come sit on the couch and relax, while I give you a real show. But… first, you need to close the front door all the way, buddy.”

  
“Okay!” I slam the door shut behind me on autopilot, never tearing my eyes from her shimmering, smiling gray ones. “K-Katniss… I have to tell you something,” I say after shaking off the cobwebs inside my head.

  
I can’t pretend what she’s wearing was intended for her. I’m afraid of her reaction, but… I can’t lie to her. If she decides she doesn’t want to see me or talk to me, ever again, I’ll understand and accept it, but I won’t be dishonest with her.

  
Not now.

  
Not ever.

  
“Yeah…?” She prompts in that same honeyed voice.

  
I’ve never heard her use that tone before, and it’s made me hard as rock already.

  
My brain is a damned champion. It won’t let my dick tell me to forget what I need to do. I have to tell her the truth, no matter how much I want to make love to her right now.

  
“Katniss. As much as I love to see you wearing that… um, _suit_ … and believe me, you look absolutely gorgeous in it!” I say quickly, allowing my eyes to scan her body fully.

  
God, she _is_ gorgeous! Her legs go on forever. Her breasts look full and perky and… _squeezable_. I try not let my eyes go to where her thighs meet. The small triangle of fabric covering the area is a flimsy red, sheer material, which hides nothing, I just can’t look there, not if I want to keep my train of thought from derailing.

  
“Katniss, I’m afraid I swapped yours and Glimmer’s gift boxes,” I blurt out with as much courage as I can muster. The anxiety is reaching devastating levels in my chest, my heart is thumping so hard, I think will burst through my ribcage.

  
One delicate brow arches at me. Slowly, deliberately, she stalks up to me, her gray eyes boring into mine.

  
I should stop talking now.

But I don’t.

  
“This, is what I got for you,” I say weakly, lifting the scarf to her eye level, so she can see it.

  
There is something in her eyes, _surprise_ , she wasn’t expecting that. Her gaze softens for a moment, as she looks at the garment in my hand. There’s a hint of gratitude and sweetness in her eyes when she looks back at me. I can detect a feeling, much deeper, than mere platonic fondness, in her gaze when she softly says, “I know,”.

  
I groan, glancing down at my feet in shame.

  
I notice then, she’s wearing shiny, black stilettos. My throat constricts painfully. This is so surreal.

  
She continues talking, ignoring my growing discomfort. "I also know it was Finn’s idea, for you to get one last hurrah out of Glimmer, before dumping her ass.“ She smirks now, touching the tip of her index finger to my shoulder before circling me, dragging the offending digit around my body. She _is_ trying to seduce me… _the vixen_!

  
“Katniss…” I exhale her name faintly.

  
“Yes, Peeta…” 

  
She comes to a halt right in front of me, almost daring me to ogle her.

  
I oblige.

  
The red, gossamer babydoll get-up fits her like a glove. Accenting the sheer fabric is a white fuzzy trim. The outfit splits down the middle, just under the bust, exposing her flat, taut stomach.

  
I’m lost in her belly button, when she finally yanks the scarf out of my hand. “So this is what you wanted me to wear?” she asks, sounding more like herself. “This is what you wanted me to show you how it looked on me?” Her tone is full of amusement. Her fingers run over the pashmina lightly, delicately, as if savoring the feel.

  
“Yeah,” I choke out, “Stupid, right?” I say with a half hearted chuckle.

  
Her silver-gray eyes find mine, and then go back to the green thing in her hands. She nods once then says, “Alright. If that’s what you want to see. That’s what I will wear.” In a fluid motion, she whips the baby doll top over her head.

 

Giving the garment a disdainful look, she tosses it on the floor carelessly. Wearing nothing but a smirk and the sheer red thong, Katniss wraps the scarf around her neck, letting the ends fall between her perfect breasts.

  
“Oh God!” I gasp. My knees give out and I’m unable to keep myself from falling. It’s a good thing my recliner is right behind me, otherwise I would’ve fallen on my ass at the sight of her.

  
The woman has the audacity to watch my undoing from under her lashes, a self satisfied expression of amusement dancing on her lips!

  
“Are you trying to kill me?” I ask her weakly.

  
“Of course not, silly. I’m trying to give you what you’ve always wanted for Christmas… _me_! Take me to bed, Peeta. Have your way with me!” She smiles coyly at me.

  
That’s when my brain signs off, leaving my dick in charge.

  
“In that case,” I surge up from my chair, pulling her to me, none too softly, “I’m gonna need those bottoms too…” My fingers skim her lower back, right above her underwear. "These..." I pull the thong taut before letting it go with a satisfactory little snap of the elastic. “Are my trophy, you see.” I half growl, half whisper into her ear.

  
She smirks at me, “If you want ‘em… come get ‘em yourself,” Katniss slips out of my greedy grasp easily, scampering towards our bedrooms.

 

She stops at my doorway, leaning on the door frame seductively, allowing me a full view of her bare back and tight little ass. Throwing her long, dark, unbound hair over her shoulder, she purrs, “Don’t keep me waiting big boy? We have a lot of lost time to make up for.” She gives me a devilish wink and smile, motioning for me to come hither with her index finger.

  
I growl in response. Pulling my sweater off, I say, "Right behind you Everdeen.” I can’t help the begging tone my voice takes, when I ask her, “Leave the shoes on.”

  
Later, we’ll need to inform our families that we’re going to be late for the holidays tomorrow. Tonight promises to be long and busy. If I dare to wish for a perfect Christmas miracle is that next time we see our folks it will be with the news that Katniss and I are officially together.

  
For now, all can actively think of, as I follow Katniss into the bedroom struggling not to trip over my discarded clothing, is, " _Bless you,_ Finnick Odair! Wherever you are, _bless you!_ "

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr @Alliswell21, and while you're at it, go to @winterinpanem to check out the rest of the winter/Christmas/ holidays works from other beloved authors.
> 
> Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment!


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